Christina Eppolitio, left, and Angela Illingworth (Credit: Christina Eppolito/Facebook)
Longtime Supervisor Chuck Wilson falls short amid shifting political landscape
The Republican primary for Towamencin Township Board of Supervisors unofficially concluded Tuesday with Angela C. Illingworth and Christina Eppolito emerging as the party’s nominees for two seats up for election this November.
The results mark a significant shift in local politics, with longtime Supervisor Chuck Wilson failing to advance after more than two decades in office.
Illingworth led the Republican field with a commanding 1,107 votes (840 in-person, 267 by mail), followed by Eppolito with 732 votes (513 in-person, 219 by mail). Wilson, who has served on the Board of Supervisors since 2002, placed third with 650 total votes (466 in-person, 184 by mail). Donald Litman rounded out the field with 215 votes.
Eppolito applauded and congratulated all the candidates who participated in the primary and the throng of volunteers – especially those who spent hours at the polls engaging with voters.
“As a first-time candidate, I’m grateful for the respect and civility shown to me by both my fellow Republicans and those from the opposing party,” Eppolito said. “It has been incredibly encouraging to meet so many Towamencin neighbors while out door-knocking over the past several weeks. This experience reminded me just how much our residents care about the future of our community.”
She said she was thankful to the other candidates on her side of the aisle and volunteers for their support throughout the campaign.
“Most of all, thank you to the Towamencin Republican voters for showing up and making your voices heard,” she said. “My running mate, Angela, and I are energized by your support. We will work tirelessly to win in November and restore a board majority that puts residents first and focuses on the issues that matter most to our community.”
Wilson, a fixture in Towamencin government for more than 24 years, recently saw his leadership role reduced when he was voted out as board chairman and reassigned to vice chairman. Each term for supervisor spans six years, making Wilson one of the longest-serving elected officials in recent township history.
His primary defeat signals a potential desire among Republican voters for new representation on the board.
On the Democratic side, Courtney Morgan and Vanessa Gaynor both ran unopposed and garnered 1,750 and 1,730 total votes, respectively. Their mail-in vote counts were at nearly 1,000 each (Morgan: 954; Gaynor: 937).
Looking Ahead to November & A New Tax Collector
When comparing total vote counts between parties, the Democrats collectively received 3,480 votes for their candidates, outpacing the Republican total of 2,704.
While primary turnout does not always predict general election outcomes — especially in years with higher voter participation, like a Presidential Election — it may point to growing Democratic momentum in a township that has historically leaned Republican.
The upcoming general election in November will determine the future makeup of the five-member Board of Supervisors.
With Supervisor Laura Smith’s resignation earlier this year and ongoing debate over key issues such as sewer system ownership and local development, the stakes are high for both parties.
Illingworth and Eppolito will now face Morgan and Gaynor in what is shaping up to be a competitive race that could further shift the political balance in Towamencin Township.
Futhermore, with current tax collector Robert A. Di Domizio Jr. not seeking re-election, to a fourth four-year term, Republican Stephanie German secured the local party nomination, with no challenger.
Like the supervisor race come November, if primary figures were a premonition, it is shaping up to be a tight race. German garnered 988 Election Day votes to Democratic challenger and North Penn School Board vice chairman Christian Fusco's 826 votes. However, Fusco received 969 mail-in votes to German's 375 mail-in votes, according to unofficial county voter services records, thus totaling 1,795 votes for Fusco and 1,363 votes for his challenger.
Out of 13,474 registered voters in the township, 1,446 ballots were cast in the Republican primary, according to unofficial results from Montgomery County Board of Elections. Towamencin Democrats cast 1,846 votes, per unofficial results. Total voter turnout in the county was 5.72%, according to the unofficial figures.
Editor's Note for transparency: The writer of this article is the son of the current tax collector.
